Modular Footwear and Methods of Making the Same

The present disclosure relates to articles of footwear. More particularly, described embodiments relate to footwear comprising modular parts.

Traditional shoe manufacturing processes have typically relied on standardized sizes and designs, which, while efficient for mass production, often fail to meet the specific needs of individual consumers. This standardization results in a portion of the population experiencing issues such as poor fit, discomfort, and inadequate support.

Attempts have been made to address the issue of poor fit and comfort in footwear. These include the development of insoles and inserts designed to provide better arch support and cushioning, as well as adjustable shoe designs that aim to accommodate a range of foot shapes and sizes. However, these solutions can fall short of providing a comprehensive and truly personalized fit.

In addition to fit and comfort, the appearance of footwear has become increasingly important to consumers, particularly as fashion trends continue to evolve rapidly. Consumers are seeking more ways to express their personal style through customized designs, colors, and patterns in their footwear. Traditional mass-produced shoes often do not meet the unique aesthetic preferences of individual users, leading to a growing demand for customizable options that cater to personal fashion tastes.

Given the limitations of standard footwear and the increasing demand for products that cater to individual needs, a clear need exists for the development of more personalized footwear solutions.

Embodiments according to the present disclosure are directed to articles of footwear comprising modular parts that can be assembled to form all or a portion of an article of footwear. Some or all of these parts can comprise integrally formed connectors that couple a first part to a second part. The modular parts can be assembled to form various portions of the article of footwear.

A first embodiment (I) of the present disclosure is directed to an article of footwear, comprising: a first part having a first surface; a second part having a second surface opposing the first surface; a first connector that couples the first part to the second part, the first connector being integrally formed with the first part; and a second connector that couples the second part to the first part, the second connector being integrally formed with the second part; wherein the first surface and the second surface are mated by the first connector and the second connector.

A second embodiment (II) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of the first embodiment (I) wherein the first connector extends from the first surface and the second connector is recessed from the second surface, and the first connector engages the second connector to mate the first surface and the second surface.

A third embodiment (III) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of the second embodiment (II), wherein the first connector comprises a tab extending from the first surface and the second connector comprises a slot, and the tab engages with the slot to mate the first surface and the second surface.

A fourth embodiment (IV) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of any one of the previous embodiments, wherein the first part comprises one of a footwear upper portion or a midsole portion, and the second part comprises the other of the footwear upper portion or the midsole portion.

A fifth embodiment (V) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of any one of the previous embodiments, wherein the first part comprises one of a footwear upper portion or a tongue portion, and the second part comprises the other of the upper portion or the tongue portion.

A sixth embodiment (VI) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of the fifth embodiment (V), wherein the tongue portion defines a first plurality of openings and the upper portion defines a second plurality of openings, and wherein a shoelace extends through the first plurality of openings and the second plurality of openings to couple the tongue portion to the upper portion.

A seventh embodiment (VII) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of any one of the previous embodiments, wherein the first part comprises one of a footwear upper portion or an insert, and the second part comprises the other of the upper portion or the insert.

An eighth embodiment (VIII) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of the seventh embodiment (VII), wherein at least part of the textile portion is located between the upper portion and the insert.

A ninth embodiment (IX) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of the eighth embodiment (VIII), wherein the textile portion comprises a loop extending through the upper portion, the loop configured to receive a shoelace.

A tenth embodiment (X) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of either one of the eighth embodiment (VIII) or the ninth embodiment (IX), wherein the textile portion comprises an opening that receives the first connector or the second connector to secure the textile portion between the upper portion and the insert.

An eleventh embodiment (XI) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of any one of the previous embodiments, wherein at least one of the first part or the second part is formed by an additive manufacturing process and comprises a three-dimensional mesh comprising a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell comprising a plurality of unit cell struts defining a three-dimensional structure and a plurality of nodes at which one or more unit cell struts are connected.

A twelfth embodiment (XII) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of any one of the previous embodiments, wherein at least one of the first part or the second part is a single piece.

A thirteenth embodiment (XIII) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of any one of the previous embodiments, further comprising a support member located between the first part and the second part, the support member coupled to the first part and the second part.

A fourteenth embodiment (XIV) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of the thirteenth embodiment (XIII), wherein the support member defines an aperture that receives at least one of the first connector or the second connector.

A fifteenth embodiment (XV) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of either one of the thirteenth embodiment (XIII) or the fourteenth embodiment (XIV), wherein the support member comprises a third connector integrally formed with the support member, the third connector coupling the support member to at least one of the first part or the second part.

A sixteenth embodiment (XVI) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of any one of the previous embodiments, wherein engagement between the first connector and the second connector creates an interlocking fit at a joint between the first part and the second part, and wherein the joint between the first part and the second part comprises a cured resin.

A seventeenth embodiment (XVII) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of the sixteenth embodiment (XVI), wherein the cured resin comprises a first material, and at least one of the first part or the second part is formed from the first material.

An eighteenth embodiment (XVIII) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of any one of the previous embodiments, wherein the second part comprises a third surface opposing the second surface, the article of footwear further comprising: a third part comprising a fourth surface opposing the third surface; a third connector that couples the third part to the second part, the third connector being integrally formed with the third part; a fourth connector that couples the fourth part to the third part, the fourth connector being integrally formed with the fourth part wherein the third surface and the fourth surface are mated by the third connector and the fourth connector.

A nineteenth embodiment (XIX) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of the eighteenth embodiment (XVIII), wherein the second part is a midsole portion and the third part is an outsole portion.

A twentieth embodiment (XX) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of any one of the first embodiment (I) through the sixth embodiment (VI) or any one of the eleventh embodiment (XI) through the nineteenth embodiment (XIX), wherein the first part comprises a first midsole portion and the second part comprises a second midsole portion received within a cavity formed in the first midsole portion.

A twenty-first embodiment (XXI) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of any one of the first embodiment (I) through the sixth embodiment (VI) or any one of the eleventh embodiment (XI) through the nineteenth embodiment (XIX), wherein the first part comprises a midsole portion and the second part comprises a shell for receiving a portion of an upper for the article of footwear.

A twenty-second embodiment (XXII) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of any one of the first embodiment (I) through the sixth embodiment (VI) or any one of the eleventh embodiment (XI) through the nineteenth embodiment (XIX), wherein the first part comprises a midsole portion and the second part comprises a strap, a lace support, a cage, a flange, a heel counter, or a sleeve extending from the midsole portion.

A twenty-third embodiment (XXIII) of the present disclosure is directed to a method of making an article of footwear, comprising: assembling a first part to a second part such that a first surface of the first part opposes a second surface of the second part, the first part comprising a first connector integrally formed with the first part, the second part comprising a second connector integrally formed with the second part, wherein assembling the first part to the second part causes the first connector to engage the second connector to mate the first surface and the second surface.

A twenty-fourth embodiment (XXIV) of the present disclosure is directed to the method of making an article of footwear of the twenty-third embodiment (XXIII), further comprising expanding one of the first part or the second part to secure the first part to the second part.

A twenty-fifth embodiment (XXV) of the present disclosure is directed to the method of making an article of footwear of the twenty-fourth embodiment (XXIV), wherein expanding one of the first part or the second part comprises heating the first part and the second part.

A twenty-sixth embodiment (XXVI) of the present disclosure is directed to the method of making an article of footwear of any one of the twenty-third embodiment (XXIII) through the twenty-fifth embodiment (XXV), further comprising: forming the first part from a first material with an additive manufacturing process; and forming the second part from a second material with the additive manufacturing process.

A twenty-seventh embodiment (XXVII) of the present disclosure is directed to the method of making an article of footwear of the twenty-sixth embodiment (XVI), wherein the first material and the second material are the same material.

A twenty-eighth embodiment (XXVIII) of the present disclosure is directed to the method of making an article of footwear of either one of the twenty-sixth embodiment (XXVI) or the twenty-seventh embodiment (XXVII), further comprising: disposing a curable resin between the first part and the second part when the first part and the second part are in a green state; at least partially curing the curable resin; and heating the first part, the second part, and the at least partially cured resin to secure the first part to the second part.

A twenty-ninth embodiment (XXIX) of the present disclosure is directed to the method of making an article of footwear of the twenty-eighth embodiment (XVIII), wherein the curable resin comprises a first material and at least one of the first part or the second part is formed from the first material.

A thirtieth embodiment (XXX) of the present disclosure is directed to the method of making an article of footwear of any one of the twenty-sixth embodiment (XXVI) through the twenty-ninth embodiment (XXIX), wherein the first part and the second part are formed at the same time and are connected by one or more supports formed by the additive manufacturing process, and wherein the one or more supports is removed before assembling the first part to the second part.

A thirty-first embodiment (XXXI) of the present disclosure is directed to the method of making an article of footwear of any one of the twenty-sixth embodiment (XXVI) through the thirtieth embodiment (XXX), wherein the first part and the second part are formed separately at the same time.

A thirty-second embodiment (XXXII) of the present disclosure is directed to the method of making an article of footwear of any one of the twenty-sixth embodiment (XXVI) through the thirty-first embodiment (XXXI), further comprising: forming a third part with the additive manufacturing process, wherein the third part is formed coupled to one of the first part or the second part by one or more supports; decoupling the third part from the one of the first part or the second part by removing the one or more supports; and assembling the third part to the first part or the second part.

A thirty-third embodiment (XXXIII) of the present disclosure is directed to the method of making an article of footwear of any one of the twenty-third embodiment (XXIII) through the thirty-second embodiment (XXXII), further comprising: inserting a support member into a recess defined by the first part in a green state; and expanding the first part around the support member, wherein the support member constrains expansion of the first part to impart a shape to the first part.

A thirty-fourth embodiment (XXXIV) of the present disclosure is directed to the method of making an article of footwear of the thirty-third embodiment (XXXIII), wherein expanding the first part comprises heating the first part.

A thirty-fifth embodiment (XXXV) of the present disclosure is directed the method of making an article of footwear of either one of the thirty-third embodiment (XXXIII) or the thirty-fourth embodiment (XXXIV), wherein the support member comprises an extension located at an end of the support member, the extension configured to constrain the expansion of the first part.

A thirty-sixth embodiment (XXXVI) of the present disclosure is directed to the method of making an article of footwear of any one of the twenty-third embodiment (XXIII) through the thirty-fifth embodiment (XXXV), further comprising: inserting a curved support member into a recess defined by the first part in a green state to impart a curved shape to the first part; and heating the curved support member and the first part to cure the first part in the curved shape.

A thirty-seventh embodiment (XXXVII) of the present disclosure is directed to an article of footwear, comprising: an additively manufactured footwear part comprising an upper portion for the article of footwear, a sole portion for the article of footwear, or both; and a textile portion connected to the additively manufactured footwear part by lacing.

A thirty-eighth embodiment (XXXVIII) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of the thirty-seventh embodiment (XXXVII), wherein the additively manufactured footwear part comprises the upper portion and the lacing extends through a plurality of openings formed in in the additively manufactured footwear part.

A thirty-ninth embodiment (XXXIX) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of the thirty-seventh embodiment (XXXVII), wherein the additively manufactured footwear part comprises the upper portion, wherein textile portion comprises a plurality of loops each extending through a respective opening formed in the upper portion, and wherein the lacing extends through the loops.

A fortieth embodiment (XL) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear the thirty-seventh embodiment (XXXVII), wherein the additively manufactured footwear part comprises a three-dimensional mesh comprising a plurality of interconnected unit cells, each interconnected unit cell comprising a plurality of unit cell struts defining a three-dimensional structure and a plurality of nodes at which one or more unit cell struts are connected, and wherein the lacing extends through a plurality of openings in the additively manufactured footwear that are defined by unit cells of the three-dimensional mesh.

A forty-first embodiment (XLI) of the present disclosure is directed to the article of footwear of the fortieth embodiment (XL), wherein the additively manufactured footwear part comprises the sole portion.

The indefinite articles “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless clearly contradicted or the context clearly dictates otherwise.

As used herein, unless specified otherwise, references to “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. are not intended to denote order, or that an earlier-numbered feature is required for a later-numbered feature. Also, unless specified otherwise, the use of “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. does not necessarily mean that the “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. features have different properties or values.

The term “comprising” is an open-ended transitional phrase. A list of elements following the transitional phrase “comprising” is a non-exclusive list, such that elements in addition to those specifically recited in the list can also be present. The phrase “consisting essentially of” limits the composition of a component to the specified materials and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s) of the component. The phrase “consisting of” limits the composition of a component to the specified materials and excludes any material not specified.